Acknowledging the plight of teachers and staff due to the closing down of schools because of COVID-19, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Thursday announced that the state government would provide Rs 2,000 as financial assistance and 25 kg of rice per month to teachers and staff of recognised private schools.

The announcement said that the step has been taken on ‘humanitarian grounds’ and the assistance will be provided until educational institutions reopen. In light of the surge in COVID-19 cases, schools in Telangana have been shut again since March 23, leaving thousands of teachers and staff without employment.

To avail the aid, the teachers and staff have to enlist themselves at their district collector’s office and provide their bank account details and other relevant information, the press release said.

The Chief Minister said that the decision would help 1.50 lakh teachers and staff working in recognised private educational institutions.

In a bid to implement this welfare scheme, the Chief Minister has instructed Education Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy, Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar and Chief Advisor Rajiv Sharma to hold a high-level meeting on Thursday.

Various district collectors, district education officers and civil supplies officials would also be part of the meeting and will prepare guidelines and action plans for the scheme’s implementation.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister has also issued instructions to the Telangana police, directing them to penalise people without masks. A fine of Rs 1,000 will be imposed against the violators.

The Director-General of Police (DGP) has been tasked to strictly enforce the mask policy. “The Chief Minister said that for the curtailment of coronavirus, the wearing of masks should be implemented strictly. If the people do not wear masks, they should be fined Rs 1,000 per person,” the release from the Chief Minister’s Office reads.  Further, he also urged that all those who crossed the age of 45 years to get vaccinated.

After assessing the COVID-19 crisis in the state, he instructed the medical and health officials to set up testing centres in Gadwal, Wanaparthy, Khammam, Nirmal, Mancherial, Kamareddy, Sangareddy, Medak, Jagtial, Peddapalli, Ramagundam, Bhongir, Jangaon and Vikarabad districts.

As per the medical bulletin issued on Friday, the state recorded 2,478 cases and 5 deaths. Presently, the state has 15,472 active cases.